Mothers (YC X26) Is Hiring

Mothers, a Y Combinator (startup accelerator) newbie, dropped a job post for Computer Vision and Robotics engineers in Austin: full‑time, on‑site, salary from $100K up to a headline‑grabbing $400K, plus 0.1%–0.5% equity. The comments instantly went feral. Half the thread calls the top number bait, the other half calls it the motherlode. “Multiple ranges” became the new red flag, with folks asking if the $400K band is just for unicorn résumés or quietly includes founders. The equity sparked the hottest debate: early hires at a tiny startup getting 0.1%–0.5%? Some say that’s “tip money,” others argue cash-heavy offers are the new normal after the market cooled.

The on‑site requirement lit the remote wars. Hardware vets reminded everyone you can’t weld a robot over Zoom; software nomads replied, “Fine, enjoy the warehouse.” Memes flew: “Bring‑your‑mom‑to‑work day,” “mother may I 0.1%,” and “pay me enough to be the robot.” Austin cameos too—heat jokes and tax talk. A calmer crew chimed in that robotics talent is scarce, vision specialists are pricey, and $400K could be legit for staff‑level hires. But the loudest chorus: if you want me to move to Austin and babysit robots, turn up the equity, or at least clarify the bands. The vibe is equal parts temptation, skepticism, and pure meme energy.